STRAPPING MACHINE FOR AND METHOD OF SECURING A PIECE OF COATED METAL STRAP IN A LOOP AROUND ONE OR MORE OBJECTS

摘要

The present application relates to a strapping machine comprising a strapping unit (20) with a laser welding device (21) for forming a welded joint between a first strap section (7a) at a leading end of a piece of metal strap (3) arranged in a loop around objects (10) to be strapped and an overlapping second strap section (7b) at a trailing end of said strap piece (3) to thereby secure it around said objects with a first surface (50) on the first strap section facing an opposite second surface on the second strap section at the welding zone. The welding device (21) is configured to direct a laser beam (23) onto said first surface when the first strap section is received in the strapping unit (20) before being fed around said objects so as to form several protuberances on the first surface that will keep said surfaces mutually separated when the strap sections are positioned in an overlapping relationship after the feeding of the strap around said objects (10).